XMPilot

XDCAM Metadata Workflow Solution

XMPilot

XMPilot

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Overview

XDCAM workflow is better, faster and more efficient

XMPilot is an advanced metadata workflow solution designed to significantly improve and speed up the overall XDCAM production workflow, targeting the broadcast, production and media markets. It is a combination of software and hardware for in-house and in-field applications, with added connectivity via mobile devices such as smartphones and touch tablets.

XMPilot is compatible with most XDCAM EX and XDCAM HD 422 camcorders, including the hugely successful PMW-500. With XMPilot, users can create planning metadata in advance, and have the flexibility to transfer this metadata to a camcorder remotely via email and Wi-Fi, as well as directly via USB or file-copying onto a recording media.

Live logging and post-shoot logging with mobile devices, such as smartphones and touch tablets, enables further enrichment of the metadata with EssenceMark™ and comments, eliminating paper-based logging, boosting workflow efficiency and reducing production costs. And XMPilot’s auto-ingest feature will push the time and resource savings even further at the ingest and editing stages, cutting down a typical 2-day clip logging job to only 2 hours.

Features

Planning Metadata as stand-alone application or as newsroom system plug-in

XMPilot works as a stand-alone application or as a plug-in for Outlook. The XMPilot Planner allows directors, location producers, production assistants and camera operators to create planning metadata with the story outlines as well as pre-defined EssenceMark™ prior to a shoot.

Send story or programme details from production office or newsroom to the camcorder in the field

News story slugs and production assignment metadata created with XMPilot at the headquarters or the newsroom can be sent by email to the field production teams or remotely accessed with the XMPilot Tool on a mobile device such as smartphone or touch tablet. The acquired planning metadata can then be transferred to a camcorder via Wi-Fi, USB or direct file-copying onto a recording media.

Metadata template displayed on mobile device application

Each category of metadata as well as EssenceMark™, including Good/Bad/Keep/Discard can be set out in advance as part of the planning metadata template, or otherwise defined in field. Large buttons representing metadata categories and rankings appear in the phone application’s interface.

Remote display on mobile device of footage as it is captured

The director, field producer, production assistant or camera operator’s mobile device displays exactly the images that appear in the XDCAM camcorder’s viewfinder, with a few seconds delay. The delay increases the reaction time, allowing for timely start of metadata input of even an unexpected event.

Accurate and reliable remote logging

The internal clocks of the logging mobile device and the camcorder are synchronised via a Wi-Fi connection prior to a shoot. Once recording, metadata input is carried out against the timecode, which provides for secure, accurate and safe logging even if the Wi-Fi connection is lost. Camera and mobile device synch at any stage of the shoot or post-shoot will ensure that no logging metadata is lost.

Simple “one-touch” metadata enhancement

Large, clear, user-defined EssenceMark™ buttons on the XMPilot Tool, the mobile device application, make it simple to tag clips with the appropriate content category.

Location-generated metadata embedded in MXF video file

Location-generated metadata sent wirelessly back to the camcorder from the mobile device application is embedded in the MXF video file stored on the camcorder’s Professional Disc or solid state memory. This metadata can be referenced in the MXF production workflow.

Auto-ingest features

Post-shoot, XMPilot Import Utility’s auto-ingest feature allows users to automatically name and transfer clips to the right storage locations inside a non-linear editor, significantly speeding up the ingest and editing stages of the overall XDCAM workflow.

XDCAM Browser V2.0 offers enhanced live operation support and Planning Metadata creation/editing/transfer functions, as well as an optional Advanced Pack for XDCAM Browser. The Advanced Pack includes Acquisition Metadata Display and Print Clip Information functionalities.